


Meta: How Reploids Might Work, Maybe

by MysteryMuse



Category: Rockman X | Mega Man X
Genre: Meta, Other, Our Orgasms are Different, Personal Canon, Reploid Sexuality 101
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-10
Updated: 2014-06-10
Packaged: 2018-02-04 03:01:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,228
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1763589
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MysteryMuse/pseuds/MysteryMuse
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Some meta tl;dr about Reploids - sexuality, internal workings, lots of concept stuff. Originally written in 2007 as a reference document for a fanfic circle I belonged to. If you like any of the ideas here, feel free to use 'em, maybe toss me a link back so I can enjoy the results! (I should probably update this with a 2014 edition and more links to real-world concepts that support it... hm)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Meta: How Reploids Might Work, Maybe

**Author's Note:**

  * For [KathrynShadow](https://archiveofourown.org/users/KathrynShadow/gifts), [occasional_boy_reporter](https://archiveofourown.org/users/occasional_boy_reporter/gifts).



**Physical Structure**  
Reploids consist of several layers. Over a titanium skeletal structure are stretched many layers of fibrous artificial muscles, which are then overlaid with a roughly textured black or dark grey artificial skin which is called the 'meshskin'. Set in the meshskin are a map of conduits that are designed to act as the Reploid's sensory web for external stimuli- if they're struck, they can feel pain through their armor as the conduits connect to places on the underlayers of their armor. The conduits connect directly to additional stimulus points that are hardwired into the Reploid's brain and spinal cord, as well as being connected to key points in the artificial muscles, allowing them full-sensation over the entirety of their body.  
  
The conduit-map contains varying sizes- from large 'central lines', such as across the chest, down the arms/elbows and pelvic regions- to smaller lines of lesser importance that can be as thin as a human hair. These smaller lines branch off for specialized work. A Reploid's outer armor can be removed, and if it is removed, the meshskin appears. It looks something like black, diamond-patterned rugged nylon/gore-tex fabric set with gleaming, flexible, electrically-active lines. (Absolute Zero's wings are a perfect example if you need a visual aid- and yes, it does mean I theorize that his wings are 'naked' and therefore exceptionally sensitive...)  
  
The meshskin and conduit-map blends into synthskin (a much more human-appearing and sensitive kind of skin) at the neck and near the wrists. Synthskin can blush and give off small amounts of sweat, as it is designed to be as humanoid as possible. However, the extra power it takes to power this appearance means that synthskin is not currently feasible to cover the entire body. (later advances will alter this by Zero-era, though the facial structure is still the most complex and costly in terms of power usage).  
  
The conduits, since they are electrically conductive, are also covered by a very thin, fine layer of protective plastic. If a conduit is overstimulated the material 'puffs' to protect the conduit from damage and air from 'breathing' is routed directly over the 'swollen' lines; this may be in reaction to temperatures reaching a certain point.  
  
Essentially, a conduit-line is like touching a raw nerve on a Reploid; as it is the primary way that they experience tactile sensation, they are sensitive. A Reploid that willingly sheds its armor is 'naked' and exposing itself to potential danger as the meshskin is much weaker than armored form and can be torn or damaged by weaponry that the armor might easily repel. Normally, the conduit-map sensations are blunted somewhat by the wearing of armor; a Reploid is not supposed to remove its armor for anything except diagnostic purposes. (and doing so might invalidate its warranty, hee hee.)  
  
Reploid sexuality currently focuses on the manipulation of the conduit web by various means if direct physical stimulation is required. There is an additional component however, the 'transfer' mechanism, which requires a seperate discussion (see below)  
  
 **'Organs' and Processing**  
A Reploid is something like a blend of a modern car and computer; it is not clear whether any parts of them have an organic or semi-organic nature, and the brain in particular is in question. I prefer to go with a non-organic model.  
  
Reploids have a few key organs, however.  
  
The 'core' is roughly analogous to a human's heart, routing electricity and coolants through the body as necessary. The 'autonomic system' is controlled by the core as well. However, in some Reploids the core also contains a special crystal or processing chip; this may be alternatively known as the (model)-Heart.  
  
This Heart contains the Reploid's primary personality data as well as any critical model-specific programming; the 'essence' of the Reploid would be here. This has been referred to in canon as the Z-heart (for Zero) and also the 'control chip'; in Axl, this would be the Chameleon Chip, and it may also be the 'DNA Soul' data location. The core is located inside the chest armor for increased safety and greater security; the chest is more heavily armored than the head as it is so vital to a Reploid's functioning.  
  
The (model)-Brain is located in the head, often seated behind a special cover that is commonly referred to as a 'forehead crystal'. The forehead crystal is more than just a pretty cover; it somehow acts as an integral part of the Brain's processing, although the exact specifications of how it interacts with the Reploid's system are not currently established. When a forehead crystal is damaged or broken, a Reploid instantly loses consciousness, implying a direct route between the crystal and higher thought functions. The Brain is also known as a 'primary processor'.  It is likely the forehead crystal acts as a head sink for the Brain. Possibly, these are made of a condensed liquid metal, or a superconductive future alloy that 'breathes' while still having the appearance of a solid. (reference: site "Heat Sink Operation") These materials would be extremely hot to the touch and should not be handled without gloves, for human mechanics.  
  
A reploid can not function correctly without both the Core (or Heart) and the Brain working in unison, although there are apocryphal stories stating that the Brain can be destroyed and the Core will still drive the body for a brief period of time, and even have a rudimentary consciousness inside the body.  
  
There is also the question of whether the body retains a set of memory-data seperate and independent of the primary memory controlled by the Brain; this is not yet fully explored. It may relate to the autonomic system's capacity to drive the Reploid's body processes automatically without the Reploid's conscious awareness; it is also possible that the secondary "body" processor may have its own substorage system that can be kicked in in an emergency situation to provide temporary, short term replacement of higher brain functions.  
  
 **The Autonomic System**  
Analogous to humans, there is a system within a Reploid that runs independently of the primary processor (or Brain) which controls all the basics of a Reploid's body- movement is coordinated here, the conduit-web is managed by this system. Some rumors have circulated that data stored here can affect the body without being recognized by the conscious mind and it's possible that viruses such as the Maverick Virus take root in the autonomic system, spreading rapidly where it can't be seen. The reason for the autonomic system was to isolate repetitive functions that could be easily 'mechanized' away from the central processor, to free up more CPU cycles for the cognitive areas; in essence, to allow the Reploid to have more free brain power. Without needing to constantly manage and monitor simple, routine actions, a Reploid is free to think and feel. This was a major breakthrough in the understanding and maintenance of AI; previous models attempted to route all functions through a single processor, bogging down the machine in a confusion of managing tedious tasks that kept its intelligence leashed and limited.  
  
 **Heating and Cooling**  
As mentioned, under normal operating circumstances the act of 'breathing' provides a handy venting system for Reploids; they rarely need to open any external vents. Even under situations of extreme duress and pressure, the 'breathing' act is normally sufficient. They can seal themselves completely to avoid being bothered by excess heat, dust, damaged air particles, water, dirt, and the like, but after a few hours this begins to become extremely uncomfortable, and after 12 hours, a Reploid would need to flush his system out completely in some manner or risk shutdown from overheating. This is both an imitative movement (as humans that talk with Reploids who don't breathe have found it 'creepy') and a functional one.  
  
The Reploid body is also serviced by oils, lubricants and coolants of various types, which do need to be changed out or and refilled from time to time, and the internal containers necessary. Reploid 'lungs' are really super-efficient high-pressure pumps pushing fluid and air around the body under the direction of the autonomic system.  
  
 **Networking Capabilities/Data Management**  
Reploids often share data with each other including movies, photographs, and recorded audio. They can record and replay what they see and hear and isolate these easily through their memory-sorting system. There is also recorded evidence of Reploids trading and storing program upgrades meant for other models - Zero is used often by the Light capsules to carry data meant for X in the case that X is not immediately at hand. This impromptu peer to peer sharing allows Reploids to pass along critical upgrades and programs easily, as well as cultural artifacts, but also carries risk of viral infection.  
  
A Reploid, being an electronic sentient, is imbued with several additional 'senses' to those of humans. Many commercial and combat-oriented Reploids are installed with broad-spectrum multi-channel receivers capable of transmission or reception; these are used for a range of functions including friendly-ID, handshaking, and wireless data transfer. These incorporate elements of wi-fi and scanner frequencies. They are blocked from receiving and transmitting on certain official frequencies.  
  
Reploids have many safeguards in place against external abuse of their internal transmitter/receivers, but there are specialized hacks for every system, and Reploids are no exception. Wireless hacks ranging from harmless prank effects to severely crippling malware exists, as well as coded 'backdoor' exploits and the wide range of viruses in the Maverick family.  
  
The danger of being hacked is much greater for a Reploid as their minds can be directly influenced by program alterations. Their cores are the most heavily firewalled, with at least two redundant layers, but even these can be, with deeply persistent effort, altered or adjusted in some manner. Thus, Virus threats and hacking are a constant concern.  
  
The wireless capacity of a Reploid is still being explored, but it is becoming known that there are certain routine procedures/functionalities and modes within this area.  
  
 _Handshaking_ allows a Reploid to recognize another and is often done on an autonomic level. This allows combat Reploids such as Maverick Hunters to quickly ID friends from foes in a hostile situation. (The codes are switched out regularly and fed to the Hunters via autonomic system updates while they recharge; additionally, a Reploid can override 'foe' with 'friendly' if it chooses a manual override/reassignment function) The internal radios have a reasonable range, allowing Reploids to carry on multiple layers of conversation.  
  
 _Permissions_ : A reploid that trusts another as a friendly can allow a certain level of free access to the other's system based on permission settings within its software. A Reploid with strong permissions to another has some limited access to act like an 'administrator' account, and can share files, data, upgrades and even in some cases physical parts with the other. Most Reploids do not allow each other this level of access and commercial Reploids have this feature completely locked out at initial programming.  
  
Within the data exchange functions, certain networking signals are now becoming standardized. These include:  
 _ping_ \- to locate a fellow and/or check on whether they are awake  
 _request_ \- either for personal or physical access  
 _denial/reject_ \- to cut off external attempts to contact; closes off radio  
 _ignore_ and _ban_.  
 _demand_ \- is a higher priority level of request and considered more urgent.  
  
 **Networking modes**  
A reploid can shift their system into _Receptive_ mode. This is usually used during data transfer to allow the Reploid to receive files, information, DNA profiles, weapon data, or whatever else is being shared. As such, operating in receptive mode is a danger for Reploids, exposing them to greater security risk. Usually this mode is only active for very short durations. A Receptive-mode Reploid places itself in danger of viral reception, wireless takeover, and 'spamming' of its hard drive and processors.  
  
The opposite of receptive mode is _Rejection_ mode- nothing gets in, the Reploid is firewalled and inaccessible. Rejection mode is the standard default for Reploid internal networking; they must consciously enable Receptive. Rumor has it that a Reploid given a high enough level of access to another can switch them into Receptive mode without the express permission of the Reploid being switched. If Reploids are allowing each other this level of access, it is not common, and is culturally a symbol of intense trust among Reploids. Receptive mode can also be forced on a Reploid through hacking techniques.  
  
Communication among Reploids therefore often happens on multiple levels. A Reploid may be carrying on a conversation verbally while exchanging in a parry of networking pings, responding to, sending and rejecting access requests, identification markers, and other low-level data exchanges. A Reploid can speak pleasantly on the verbal level and be aggressively attacking on the networking level, bombarding another's system with demands for access and data release. The other may respond aggressively on the verbal level and allow or deny access, while additionally transmitting a radio signal to request assistance. Most Reploids are not disturbed by operating on several levels and channels simultaneously.  
  
The regular function of a normal Reploid are thus deeply dependent on several interlocking systems. There are many vectors for danger and error, yet their usefulness and capacity still outweighs the risks. Redundant systems and continually evolving designs have greatly reduced risk of use. A Reploid is truly a marvel of engineering, physics, and computer processing.


End file.
